Exploring the Potential of Solar Geoengineering to Combat Climate Change
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is launching a $10m research project to develop its understanding of solar geoengineering. The program, called Earth’s Radiation Budget, will involve the use of NASA’s WB-57 research jet, which has been kitted out with 17 instruments.
The plane will fly at altitudes of up to 20km, measuring naturally occurring particles in the stratosphere, including reflective sulfate particles. The research should allow NOAA to detect any new sources of such particles, whether due to natural phenomena or geoengineering.
In 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommended a $200m research program into solar geoengineering. Some scientists and activists argue that the technique could distract from reducing carbon emissions, could have unknown risks and would fail to address all the consequences of increased levels of carbon dioxide. SilverLining, an organisation that supports the technology, lobbied Congress for the program, arguing that emissions reductions were not taking place quickly enough to address the climate emergency.
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